Art

Jean Nouvel – Mes meubles d'architecte. Sense et essence

FEB/2017

Like Mies van der Rohe or Le Corbusier, the French architect Jean Nouvel has been designing furniture over a lengthy period of time—since 1987—with the philosophy of prioritising the elementary over the conceptual. His pieces are absolutely rigorous, functional and interwoven with the culture of our times.

The Paris Museum of Decorative Arts presented until 12 February a retrospective exhibition of furniture and objects, more than a hundred pieces designed by this well-rounded artists for renowned firms such as Paralum, Troll, Bolon, UniFor, Molteni&C, Poltrona Frau or Kvadrat as well as the designs that wander into the territory of art for the Gagosian Gallery and the Patrick Seguin Gallery.

Nouvel was in charge of coordinating the show. His pieces were placed among the museum’s permanent collections—such as those dedicated to the medieval period and the Renaissance—in order to integrate them into the various historical periods. Thus, the initial perception of the objects on display was transformed through the use of warm colours such as gold, orange and red, that highlighted and enhanced all the presented works.